OpenAI has successfully raised more than $6.5 billion in a recent funding round, pushing its valuation beyond $150 billion. This substantial investment underscores the technology sector's confidence in artificial intelligence and its costly developmental research efforts.
According to sources, this transaction is one of the largest private investments ever made, positioning OpenAI among the top three venture capital-backed startups, alongside SpaceX and ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. The scale of this funding highlights the tech industry's belief in AI's potential.
The latest funding round was led by Thrive Capital, a venture firm headed by Josh Kushner, with participation from various global investors. This investment follows a turbulent year for OpenAI, which included the firing and subsequent rehiring of CEO Sam Altman, a board restructuring, the recruitment of hundreds of new employees, and the departure of several key leaders including Sutskever and CTO Mira Murati.
